Solar cell with two exposed surfaces of ARC layer disposed at different levels

ABSTRACT

A solar cell includes a substrate, a conductor layer and an anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer. The substrate has a front side, a back side and a doped region adjacent to the front side. The conductor layer has a first portion embedded into the doped region and a second portion other than the first portion. The ARC layer has first and second exposed surfaces, first and second side surfaces and a bottom surface. The first side surface is connected to the first and second exposed surfaces. The second side surface is connected to the second exposed surface and the bottom surface disposed on the front side. The second portion is disposed in the ARC layer. The conductor layer has an exposed surface, which is exposed out of the ARC layer, and higher than the second exposed surface and substantially flush with an exposed surface of the ARC layer.

This application claims priority of Nos. 096144384 and 096148566respectively filed in Taiwan R.O.C. on Nov. 23, 2007 and Dec. 19, 2007under 35 USC 119, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporatedby reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to a solar cell and a method of manufacturing thesame, and more particularly to a solar cell formed by one screenprinting process, one firing process and one grinding process, or formedby two screen printing processes and two firing processes, and a methodof manufacturing the same.

2. Related Art

A solar cell is an opto-electronic element for converting solar energyinto electric energy. The solar cell is also referred to as aphotovoltaic battery from the physical point of view.

The conventional solar cell is manufactured by providing a siliconsubstrate, and forming an anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer on thesilicon substrate by way of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), such asplasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), and then the screen printing and co-firingprocesses are performed to form finger electrodes on the ARC layer.According to this manufacturing method, the co-firing temperature has tobe very high so that the manufacturing cost cannot be decreased and themanufacturing time cannot be shortened.

Alternatively, after the ARC layer is formed, windows may be formed byway of etching, and then the silver paste is filled into the windows byway of screen printing so that the finger electrodes can be formed.According to this manufacturing method, the very high precisionalignment is required. That is, the silver paste has to be preciselyfilled into the windows during the screen printing process. In order tosolve the problem of alignment, the trade-off between the sizes of thewindows and the efficiency of the solar cell has to be considered.

Therefore, it is an important subject of the invention to provide asolar cell, which is free from encountering the problem of alignment,and a method of manufacturing the solar cell with the lowered firingtemperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a solar cell and amethod of manufacturing the same, wherein the solar cell ismanufacturing by one screen printing process, one firing process and onegrinding process.

Another object of the invention is to provide a solar cell and a methodof manufacturing the same, wherein the solar cell is manufacturing bytwo screen printing processes and two firing processes.

The invention achieves the above-identified objects by providing a solarcell including a substrate, a conductor layer and an anti-reflectioncoating (ARC) layer. The substrate has a front side, a back side and adoped region adjacent to the front side. The conductor layer has a firstportion embedded into the doped region and a second portion other thanthe first portion. The anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer has first andsecond exposed surfaces, first and second side surfaces and a bottomsurface. The first side surface is connected to the first exposedsurface and the second exposed surface. The second side surface isconnected to the second exposed surface and the bottom surface. Thebottom surface of the ARC layer is disposed on the front side of thesubstrate. The second portion of the conductor layer is disposed in theARC layer, the conductor layer has an exposed surface exposed out of theARC layer, and the exposed surface of the conductor layer is higher thanthe second exposed surface of the ARC layer and substantially flush withan exposed surface of the ARC layer.

The invention also provides a method of manufacturing a solar cell. Themethod includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a front side,a back side and a doped region adjacent to the front side; forming aconductor layer on the front side of the substrate; firing the conductorlayer at a temperature such that the conductor layer is formed with afirst portion embedded into the doped region and a second portion otherthan the first portion; forming an anti-reflection coating (ARC) layeron the front side of the substrate and the second portion of theconductor layer, wherein the ARC layer covers the conductor layer sothat the second portion of the conductor layer is disposed in the ARClayer; and removing the ARC layer on the conductor layer so that theconductor layer has an exposed surface exposed out of the ARC layer,wherein the exposed surface of the conductor layer is substantiallyflush with an exposed surface of the ARC layer.

The invention further provides a solar cell including a substrate, alower conductor layer, an anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer and anupper conductor layer. The substrate has a front side, a back side and adoped region adjacent to the front side. The lower conductor layer has afirst portion embedded into the doped region and a second portion otherthan the first portion. The anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer isdisposed on the front side of the substrate and covers the lowerconductor layer such that the second portion of the lower conductorlayer is disposed in the ARC layer. The upper conductor layer has afirst portion embedded into the ARC layer and a second portion otherthan the first portion of the upper conductor layer. The second portionof the upper conductor layer is exposed out of the ARC layer, and theupper conductor layer is electrically connected to the lower conductorlayer.

The invention further provides a method of manufacturing a solar cell.The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a frontside, a back side and a doped region adjacent to the front side; forminga lower conductor layer on the front side of the substrate; firing thelower conductor layer at a first temperature such that the lowerconductor layer is formed with a first portion embedded into the dopedregion and a second portion other than the first portion; forming ananti-reflection coating (ARC) layer on the front side of the substrateand the second portion of the lower conductor layer, wherein the ARClayer covers the lower conductor layer such that the second portion ofthe lower conductor layer is disposed in the ARC layer; forming an upperconductor layer, which corresponds to the lower conductor layer, on theARC layer; and firing the upper conductor layer at a second temperaturesuch that the upper conductor layer is formed with a first portionembedded into the ARC layer and a second portion other than the firstportion of the upper conductor layer, wherein the second portion of theupper conductor layer is exposed out of the ARC layer, and the upperconductor layer is electrically connected to the lower conductor layer.

Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawingswhich are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitativeof the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematically cross-sectional view showing a solar cellaccording to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2 to 6 are schematically cross-sectional views showing structurescorresponding to various steps of a method of manufacturing the solarcell according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematically cross-sectional view showing a solar cellaccording to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 8 to 13 are schematically cross-sectional views showing structurescorresponding to various steps of a method of manufacturing the solarcell according to the second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein the same references relate to the same elements.

FIG. 1 is a schematically cross-sectional view showing a solar cellaccording to a first preferred embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIG. 1, the solar cell of this embodiment includes a substrate 10, aconductor layer 20 and an ARC layer 30.

In this embodiment, the substrate 10 is a silicon substrate, and mayalso be any other suitable substrate. The substrate 10 has a front side12, a back side 14 and a doped region 16 adjacent to the front side 12.It is to be noted that another doped region (not shown) may also beformed adjacent to the back side 14.

The conductor layer 20 has a first portion 22 embedded into the dopedregion 16 and a second portion 24 other than the first portion 22. Theconductor layer 20 is usually made of silver, or may also be made of anyother suitable metal material. The conductor layer 20 is in Ohmiccontact with the doped region 16. The conductor layer 20 has a thicknessranging from 20 to 30 microns.

The ARC layer 30 is disposed on the front side 12 of the substrate 10.In detail, the ARC layer 30 has a first exposed surface 36, a secondexposed surface 32, a first side surface 37, a second side surface 33and a bottom surface 38. The first side surface 37 is connected to thefirst exposed surface 36 and the second exposed surface 32, the secondside surface 33 is connected to the second exposed surface 32 and thebottom surface 38, and the bottom surface 38 of the ARC layer 30 isdisposed on the front side 12 of the substrate 10. The first portion 22of the conductor layer 20 has a bottom surface 26B. The second portion24 of the conductor layer 20 is disposed in the ARC layer 30. The secondportion 24 of the conductor layer 20 has an exposed surface 26, which isexposed out of the ARC layer 30 and the substrate 10, and is disposedopposite the bottom surface 26B of the first portion 22 of the conductorlayer 20. The exposed surface 26 of the conductor layer 20 issubstantially flush with the first exposed surface 36 of the ARC layer30. In this embodiment, the exposed surface 26 of the conductor layer 20is higher than the second exposed surface 32 of the ARC layer 30 and thebottom surface 26B of the first portion 22 of the conductor layer 20.That is, the first exposed surface 36 and the second exposed surface 32of the ARC layer 30 are disposed at different levels. The bottom surface26B of the first portion 22 of the conductor layer 20 is lower than thebottom surface 38 of the ARC layer 30. The material of the ARC layer 30includes silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), silicondioxide (SiO₂), magnesium fluoride (MgF2), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃),cerium oxide (CeO₂) or tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅).

In addition, the solar cell of this embodiment may further include abackside electrode layer 50 disposed on the back side 14 of thesubstrate 10. The backside electrode layer 50 may be formed with severalexposed silver electrodes.

FIGS. 2 to 6 are schematically cross-sectional views showing structurescorresponding to various steps of a method of manufacturing the solarcell according to the first embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIGS. 2 to 6, the method of manufacturing the solar cell of theinvention includes the following steps.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, a substrate 10 is provided. The substrate 10has a front side 12, a back side 14 and a doped region 16 adjacent tothe front side 12.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, a conductor layer 20 is formed on the frontside 12 of the substrate 10. For example, the conductor layer 20 may beformed by way of screen printing or injection printing.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the conductor layer 20 is fired at atemperature so that the conductor layer 20 is formed with a firstportion 22 embedded into the doped region 16 and a second portion 24other than the first portion 22. The temperature is about 830° C., whichis lower than the conventional co-firing temperature (about 850° C.).

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, an ARC layer 30 is formed on the front side 12of the substrate 10 and the second portion 24 of the conductor layer 20.The ARC layer 30 covers the conductor layer 20 such that the secondportion 24 of the conductor layer 20 is disposed in the ARC layer 30.The ARC layer 30 is formed by way of sputtering, spin coating or CVD,such as PECVD.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the ARC layer 30 on the conductor layer 20 isremoved such that the conductor layer 20 has the exposed surface 26exposed out of the ARC layer 30. The exposed surface 26 of the conductorlayer 20 is substantially flush with the first exposed surface 36 of theARC layer 30. In this embodiment, the exposed surface 26 of theconductor layer 20 is higher than the second exposed surface 32 of theARC layer 30.

Next, the method of the invention may further include the step offorming a backside electrode layer 50 on the back side 14 of thesubstrate 10, as shown in FIG. 1. The backside electrode layer 50 may beformed after the step of FIG. 6, or before or after the step of FIG. 2.

The other details have been described in the illustration of thestructure of FIG. 1, so detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a schematically cross-sectional view showing a solar cellaccording to a second preferred embodiment of the invention. Referringto FIG. 7, the solar cell of this embodiment includes a substrate 10, alower conductor layer 20, an ARC layer 30 and an upper conductor layer40.

In this embodiment, the substrate 10 is a silicon substrate, and mayalso be any other suitable substrate. The substrate 10 has a front side12, a back side 14 and a doped region 16 adjacent to the front side 12.

The lower conductor layer 20 has a first portion 22 embedded into thedoped region 16 and a second portion 24 other than the first portion 22.The lower conductor layer 20 is usually made of silver, or may also bemade of any other suitable metal material. The lower conductor layer 20is in Ohmic contact with the doped region 16 and has a thickness rangingfrom 20 to 30 microns.

The ARC layer 30 is disposed on the front side 12 of the substrate 10and covers the lower conductor layer 20 such that the second portion 24of the lower conductor layer 20 is disposed in the ARC layer 30. Thematerial of the ARC layer 30 includes silicon nitride.

The upper conductor layer 40 has a first portion 42 embedded into theARC layer 30 and a second portion 44 other than the first portion 42.The second portion 44 of the upper conductor layer 40 is exposed out ofthe ARC layer 30, and the upper conductor layer 40 is electricallyconnected to the lower conductor layer 20. The upper conductor layer 40is usually made of silver or any other suitable metal material.

In addition, the solar cell of this embodiment may further include abackside electrode layer 50 disposed on the back side 14 of thesubstrate 10. The backside electrode layer 50 may be formed with severalexposed silver electrodes.

FIGS. 8 to 13 are schematically cross-sectional views showing structurescorresponding to various steps of a method of manufacturing the solarcell according to the second embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIGS. 8 to 13, the method of manufacturing the solar cell of theinvention includes the following steps.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, a substrate 10 is provided. The substrate 10has a front side 12, a back side 14 and a doped region 16 adjacent tothe front side 12.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a lower conductor layer 20 is formed on thefront side 12 of the substrate 10. For example, the lower conductorlayer 20 may be formed by way of screen printing or injection printing.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the lower conductor layer 20 is fired at afirst temperature so that the lower conductor layer 20 is formed with afirst portion 22 embedded into the doped region 16 and a second portion24 other than the first portion 22.

Next, as shown in FIG. 11, an ARC layer 30 is formed on the front side12 of the substrate 10 and the second portion 24 of the lower conductorlayer 20. The ARC layer 30 covers the lower conductor layer 20 such thatthe second portion 24 of the lower conductor layer 20 is disposed in theARC layer 30. The ARC layer 30 is formed by way of sputtering, spincoating or CVD, such as PECVD.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12, an upper conductor layer 40 corresponding tothe lower conductor layer 20 is formed on the ARC layer 30. For example,it is possible to form the upper conductor layer 40 by way of the screenprinting or injection printing.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the upper conductor layer 40 is fired at asecond temperature so that the upper conductor layer 40 is formed with afirst portion 42 embedded into the ARC layer 30 and a second portion 44other than the first portion 42. The second portion 44 of the upperconductor layer 40 is exposed out of the ARC layer 30, and the upperconductor layer 40 is electrically connected to the lower conductorlayer 20. The second temperature is about 830° C., and the firsttemperature is about 190° C. The second temperature is higher than thefirst temperature but is lower than the conventional co-firingtemperature (about 850° C.).

Next, the method of the invention may further include the step offorming a backside electrode layer 50 on the back side 14 of thesubstrate 10, as shown in FIG. 7. The backside electrode layer 50 may beformed after the step of FIG. 13, or before or after the step of FIG. 8.

The other details have been described in the illustration of thestructure of FIG. 7, so detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

According to the solar cells and its manufacturing methods of theinvention, it is possible to avoid the conventional problem ofalignment, and the conventional problem of the high co-firingtemperature.

While the invention has been described by way of examples and in termsof preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover variousmodifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should beaccorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all suchmodifications.

1. A solar cell, comprising: a substrate having a front side, a backside and a doped region adjacent to the front side; a conductor layerhaving a first portion embedded into the doped region and a secondportion other than the first portion, wherein the first portion of theconductor layer has a bottom surface, and the second portion of theconductor layer has an exposed surface disposed opposite the bottomsurface of the first portion of the conductor layer; and ananti-reflection coating (ARC) layer having a first exposed surface, asecond exposed surface, a first side surface, a second side surface anda bottom surface, wherein the first side surface is directly physicallyconnected to the first exposed surface and the second exposed surface,the second side surface is directly physically connected to the secondexposed surface and the bottom surface, the bottom surface of the ARClayer is disposed on the front side of the substrate, the second portionof the conductor layer is disposed in the ARC layer, the exposed surfaceof the conductor layer is exposed out of the ARC layer and thesubstrate, the exposed surface of the conductor layer is higher than thesecond exposed surface of the ARC layer and the bottom surface of thefirst portion of the conductor layer, the bottom surface of the firstportion of the conductor layer is lower than the bottom surface of theARC layer, and the exposed surface of the conductor layer issubstantially flush with the first exposed surface of the ARC layer. 2.The solar cell according to claim 1, further comprising a backsideelectrode layer disposed on the back side of the substrate.
 3. The solarcell according to claim 1, wherein the conductor layer has a thicknessranging from 20 to 30 microns.
 4. The solar cell according to claim 1,wherein the conductor layer is in Ohmic contact with the doped region.